Push The Rock
Where the Message of Christ and Excellence in Athletics Meet
16 Blue
Season Updates
March 21 – Muhlenberg Classic 17 Open – 2nd place finish in a 17s tournament!
February 14 – Capitol Hill Classic – Challenging the 17s!
As a 16s team in the 17s Open Division, we are very pleased with the level of play and results against each team we played and to finish in the Silver bracket, 1 game win away from making it to Gold. On Saturday and Sunday, the team demonstrated the result of their hard work in practice through their volleyball skills and determination. All in all, it was a great tournament and we accomplished our goal through the experience we gained.
Congratulations team.
Jeff & Ryan
January 18 – MLK Classic, 16 Blue Finish in 16 Open Gold!
Janaury 18, MLK Classic, Finished in 16 Open Gold
The 16 Blues played outstanding team volleyball in the first tournament of the season. We’re really proud of the effort. The hard work over the past several weeks really paid off. Some highlights included a win over the #1 seed and a first place finish in Saturday’s pool, another undefeated finish in round 2 on Sunday to hold the #1 seed and a highly inspired match in the Gold Quarter finals, losing 27 – 25 in an exciting match to finish the day. We look forward to getting back in the gym (Ryan will heal by then) on Wednesday, building on this weekend’s accomplishment and getting ready for our next tournament in Washington DC. Thanks girls!! Thanks parents!!
Jeff and Ryan
Multiy-Day Hotel and Tournament Information
- Regional/Bid - We have a block of rooms for you to reserve with your credit card. See the email sent January 15 for the phone number. As of 2/4, 6 rooms have been booked by families.
- Happy Volley - Still working on this one. Asked for confirmation of 10 King Rooms at Fairfield Inn and Suites in Lock Haven.
Team Roster
| Player Number and Name | Position |
| 16 – Emily Gisolfi | S/L |
| 35 – Taylor Gottshall | MH |
| 20 – Abby Gruver | OH/OP |
| 8 – Erin Hillman | OH |
| 5 – Jenny Kovacs | DS/L |
| 12 – Shana Peterson | OH/OP |
| 21 – Lauren Siebert | MH |
| 13 – Leslie Tintle | OP/OH |
| 2 – Kate Troyan | L/S |
2010 Tournaments and High Performance Tryouts
| DATE | FINISH | TOURNAMENT | LOCATION |
| 1/16-1/18 | 5 Gold | MLK – 16 Open | Lancaster, PA |
| 2/13-2/15 | 11 Silver | Capitol Hill Classic-17 | Washington, DC |
| 3/7 | 2 Gold | Bulldog Rumble 17 Open | DeSales U. |
| 3/21 | 2 Gold | Mule Classic 17 Open | Allentown, PA |
| 4/2-4/4 | n/a | Northeast Qualifier 16 Open | Baltimore, MD |
| 4/10 | n/a | Triad Susquehanna 17 Open | Susquehanna U. |
| 4/24 | n/a | Push The Rock Classic – 16 | Allentown, PA |
| 5/15 | n/a | Regional Championship – 16 | York, PA |
| 5/16 | n/a | Regional Bid – 16 | York, PA |
| 5/28-5/31 | n/a | Happy Volley – 18 | Penn State |
Other Information
View April practice schedule
View May practice schedule
16U Coaching Staff for 2010 Season
The 2009-2010 season will be Coach Jeff’s fourth season with Push The Rock USA Juniors and his eighteenth season coaching and instructing volleyball. Jeff has been a member of coaching staffs for successful programs at the club, high school and college level. This includes high school District XI championships and trips to boys and girls USAV Juniors club nationals. He has also conducted individual instruction and group clinics for a number of volleyball players.
In 2004, along with Howard Vernick, he directed a team of men’s college volleyball players on a 2 week Push The Rock mission’s trip to Novokuznetsk, Russia.
He has attended a numerous coaching clinics and completed CAP I certification. He has had the good fortune to receive excellent instruction from such clinicians as Doug Beal (1984, 2000, and 2004 USA Men’s Olympic coach/CEO of USA Volleyball) and Charlene Johnson-Tagaloa (USA Volleyball High Performance and member of the Women’s’ 2000 Sydney Olympic team).
Jeff is also cofounder of Athlete Advantage, where he continues to provide volleyball instruction and advice to players at all levels. He also runs his own business consulting firm to relieve tension from coaching volleyball. He is a member of Faith Evangelical Free Church in Trexlertown and serves on the Board of Directors for Push The Rock.
This is Ryan’s third season as a member of the USA Juniors coaching staff. He has sixteen years of volleyball playing experience in Junior Olympics, high school, college, and local leagues. He also is an instructor for Athlete Advantage, providing skill development and on court knowledge to many local volleyball players.
In USAV club volleyball, Ryan played on 2 club teams that won the Keystone Region and competed at Nationals. In 1998 he was also a member of the winning 16s team at the Keystone Games. He has played in many Invitational tournaments against some of the best players in the nation.
In high school, Ryan played for Emmaus High School, playing all four years, the last three as the team’s starting setter. The team won two District titles and finished second in the other two years. He was named to the District 11 first team for his junior and senior seasons. He was also a member of the all state team his junior and senior years.
In college, Ryan played at Susquehanna University and competed in three National Collegiate tournaments. He is the son of Coach Jeff Stephens.